Supreme Court Collegium recommends Justice Sushrut Dharmadhikari as Chief Justice of Madras High Court

The incumbent Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava is set to retire on March 5

New Delhi: The Supreme Court Collegium has recommended for the appointment of Kerala High Court judge Justice Sushrut Arvind Dharmadhikari as the next Chief Justice of the Madras High Court.

In its decision on February 26, 2026, the collegium headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant approved the name of Justice Dharmadhikari for the appointment, in view of the fact that incumbent Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Srivastava would retire on March 5. 

Justice Dharmadhikari's appointment will be with effect from March 6.  

"The collegium has taken a policy decision that in order to strengthen the efficiency and quality of administration of justice, a judge who is proposed to take over the High Court as its Chief Justice may be transferred well in advance, preferably two months before the vacancy arises, so that such recommendee in the meantime becomes well conversant with the affairs of that High Court and assumes charge of the office of Chief Justice, on the retirement of incumbent Chief Justice," the collegium said in a statement.

In other decisions, the collegium resolved to recommend transfer of Justice Lisa Gill, judge of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, to the High Court of Andhra Pradesh and for her appointment as the Chief Justice of that High Court with effect from the date the vacancy would arise.

In another development, the collegium also approved the proposals for appointment of advocates Md Nadim Seraj, Ranjan Kumar Jha, Kumar Manish, Sanjeev Kumar, Girijish Kumar, Alok Kumar, Raj Kumar, Rana Vikram Singh, and Vikash Kumar as judges of the Patna High Court.